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_ feelings; but they were very. pleasant and filled. her soul with a
“him; but they were both very happy, careless as the young are sure
STUDYING FRENCH. 81
Madame Monot’s much-vaunted language. She answered him hesi-
tatingly, and they held a little chaf, he laughing good-naturedly
at her mistakes and assisting her to correct them, a proceeding
which the old couple enjoyed as much as the young pair, so that a
vast amount of quiet amusement grew out of. the affair.
They spent the whole morning in the garden, and when Sarah
went up to her room: for a time to be alone with the new world of
thought which had opened upon her, she felt as if she had. known
William Danforth half her life. She did not attempt to analyze her -
delicious restlessness like gushes of agony struggling from the
heart of a song-bird. Perhaps Danforth ,made no more attempt ©
than she to understand the emotions*which had been aroused within = *
to be, and so they went on toward the beautiful dreamt that bright-
ens every life, and which spread before them in the nearing future. :
And so the months rolled on, and that pleasant old Dutch house
grew more and more like a paradise each day. Another and an-
other quarter was added to Sarah’s school-term. She saw the fruit
swell from its blossoms.into form till its golden and mellow ripeness
filled the garden with fragrance. Then she saw the leaves drop
from the trees and take a thousand gorgeous dyes from the frost.
Still the old garden was a paradise. She saw those leaves grow
crisp and sere, rustling to her step with mournful sighs, and giving
themselves with shudders to the cold wind. Still the. garden was
paradise. She saw the snow fall, white and cold, over lawn and -
gravel-walk, bending down the evergreens and tender shrubs, while
long, bright icicles hung along the gables or broke into fragments
on the ground beneath. Stil the garden was paradise; for love has
no season, and desolation is unknown where he exists, even though
his sacred presence is unsuspected. Long before the promised
period arrived, there was no falschood in Madame Monot’s assertion-
that her. pupil should be perfect; for a lovelier or more graceful
young creature than Sarah Jones could not well exist. How it
wvould have been had she been entirely dependent on the school-
teachers for her lessons, I can not pretend to say; but the pleasant
studies which were so delicately aided in that old. summer-house,
while the old ,people sat by just out of ear-shot —as nice old people
should on such occasions — were effective enough to build up half a
dozen schools, if the progress of one pupil would suffice. fs
‘At such times old Mrs. Danforth would look up blandly from her
work and remark in an innocent way to her husband, ‘* That it was
really beautiful to see how completely Sarah took to her lessons and
how kindly William stayed at home to help her. | Really,”’ she
thought, ‘ travéling abroad did improve a person’s’ disposition
wonderfully. - It gives @ young man so much steadiness of character.
There was William, now, who was so fond of excitement, and never
could be persuaded to stay at home before, he could barely be driven |
across the threshold now.”’ noe